Is High Plant Protein Bad for Gout Sufferers?

Some beans are better than others for people with gout.

Gout can be painful, but making changes to your diet may help limit your risk of attacks from this type of arthritis, which affects about 1 in 100 people, according to health care information provider A.D.A.M. These dietary changes include paying attention to the type and amount of protein-rich foods you eat.

Protein and Gout

People with gout are sometimes advised to follow a low-protein diet, according to Drugs.com. Most of the high-protein foods also contain a significant amount of purines, which the body breaks down into uric acid. This is the substance that crystallizes in the joints and causes painful gout attacks. Organ meats, beef, mackerel, herring, mussels, anchovies, goose and beef are among the protein foods with the highest purines.

Plant vs. Animal Protein

A study published in the "Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases" in September 2012 found that although the risk for a gout attack increased as people ate more purine-rich foods, foods from animals were more likely to cause gout attacks than those of plant origin. People with gout can usually eat a diet containing a moderate amount of purine-rich vegetables, including protein-rich legumes, without increasing the risk of a gout attack, according to A.D.A.M.

Best Plant Protein Options

Plant-based foods tend to be low in purines, with the exception of legumes, broccoli, artichokes, bananas, peas, apricots, mushrooms and green peppers, so you can enjoy most fruits and vegetables without greatly increasing the risk of a gout attack. Nuts, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds and garbanzo beans are the plant-based protein sources lowest in purines. Tofu and most other dried beans and peas contain a moderate amount of purines, with red beans, pinto beans, soybeans and split peas among the legumes with the least purines per 1/2-cup serving. Increasing your serving size to 1 1/2 cups would put most beans in the high-purine category, from which you shouldn't eat more than one serving per day.

Other Dietary Considerations

Being overweight, drinking alcohol and eating lots of purine-rich foods isn't recommended on a gout diet. Foods made with yeast, including baked goods and beer, are best avoided if you have gout. Also avoid foods and beverages that contain caffeine because these may make your gout worse.